LANSDALE — What is next for the borough-owned former arts center at 311 W. Main St.? Could that facility be expanded with the purchase of the former PEAK Center building at 315 W. Main St. next door?

Borough officials said at Tuesday night’s public townhall meeting that work is moving ahead on finding new leadership for 311, but so far the borough has not considered buying or expanding into the property next door.

“I don’t have any direct knowledge of talks about incorporating the former senior adult activity center into the mix at this point,” said borough parks Director Carl Saldutti.

“Obviously the borough will take a look at any possibilities, but I haven’t heard that they’re moving in the direction to buy that building or take it over,” he said.

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Tuesday night marked the first joint townhall meeting of 2013 between borough staff, council members, and representatives of the Lansdale Business Association, and one of the borough’s biggest discussion points in 2012 came up for discussion.

“Is there anything in the works, where the borough would be buying that (PEAK) building also, maybe tear that down too, and really put in a state-of-the-art entertainment center?” Fretz said.

“You could have a movie theater, you could have shows, all kinds of things” in an expanded facility, she said.

Architectural studies last year focused only on the borough owned building at 311 W. Main St., and as of now that has not changed, was the answer Fretz received from borough officials Tuesday night.

“Apparently not at this time, or if it is, not that I’m aware of. Not that that wouldn’t be something, certainly, to look at,” said borough councilwoman Mary Fuller.

“But I know the borough is aware, obviously, that (The PEAK property) is for sale,” she said.

Away from 315 and behind the scenes, there is plenty going on behind the scenes to bring 311 closer to operational status, according to Saldutti. He said the borough has begun talking with architects and design experts “with direct experience in creating venues for performing arts, visual arts, and the like,” and borough staff could announce the results of those talks within the next few weeks.

Staff members are also looking at hiring an expert to help establish a new advisory board for that revamped facility, “be it (borough nonprofit) Discover Lansdale or a new over-arching board or nonprofit to assist and move that project forward,” and recommendations from that process could also come from staff soon, said Saldutti.

The previous attempt at running an arts center in that building was operated as the Lansdale Center for the Performing Arts in 2009 and 2010 before the building was shuttered by borough council due to numerous safety and code violations.

At the moment, Saldutti said, a second borough task force is in the process of being established “to provide input as we go through that process” of acting on the initial task force’s recommendation to revitalize the center.

Borough council’s next meeting is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Feb. 6 with various council committee meetings being held starting at 6:30 p.m. that night. The next informal townhall meeting will be held on March 26 at the borough Parks and Recreation building, located at Seventh Street and Lansdale Avenue.

Follow staff writer Dan Sokil on Twitter @DanSokil.

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